Another Chance At Life
by Bruce'sMaiden
Summary: There is one week until Queen Anne Boleyn's execution, she has lost all hope of being pardoned, but doesn't know that back at Hampton Court, her husband's mind can't rest for the never ending questions in his mind. Could she be innocent after all? Could his inner circle have been lying to him? once he makes his mind up there is no going back: Another Chance At Life or Killing Anne?
1. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

This story is based on 'The Tudors' TV series, not real-life.

So in lieu of this all information herein is accurate to the canon of the show (e.g. Princess Mary being a brunette, not a redhead as she was in real life)

And obviously there are a lot of things in this story that never happened in the show or in real-life, just things that I think either should've happened or could've happened.

So, now that's out of the way.

Enjoy the story!


	2. Questions

**May 1536**

The rain had been ceaseless in the days succeeding the queen's arrest, as if it were a sign of bad things to come.

King Henry sits at his table absent-mindedly playing with his wedding ring, it had been two days since Anne had been imprisoned in the tower, he was so lost in his reverie that he didn't even register his most trusted friend Charles Brandon address him.

'Your Majesty, is everything alright?'

'Sorry Charles, I have just been thinking about the queen lately' he admits

'The queen, your majesty?' Charles asks

'I am beginning to doubt the claims, no evidence was found, and one of the men accused is her _brother,_ let me ask Charles, do you believe the claims?'

'I must admit to your majesty, I do find the claims a little beyond belief, as you said it is nigh on impossible to believe that she was sleeping with four men while married to you' he admits, the king looks out the window at the rain pouring down on London.

Later that day he slips out of the palace alone and rides to the tower of London to speak to Mark Smeaton about what he knows about the queen, his head filled with doubt.

The grey clouds cover the sky, to fit Queen Anne's ever darkening mood, three more days until she goes to die.

She sits at her small table reading her bible and praying for her daughter, her little Elizabeth, too innocent, too delicate for this cruel world, the tears can't resist falling down her pale cheeks, what will become of her? What fate will fall unto her daughter? Will she become queen?

'Master Smeaton, the king is here to see you' a guard says bowing to the king, he stands to greet his master

'Your Majesty' he says in a hoarse voice

'Master Smeaton, I have come here to discuss with you Her Majesty, the Queen Anne' Henry says

'What is it that you desire to know your majesty?'

'what your supposed activities with the queen are?'

'she has some deformities your majesty' Mark points out

'Deformities Master Smeaton?'

'She has moles on her back and an extra finger nail on her ring finger, which she hides with her sleeves'

'No, she doesn't, I have been with her for ten years and never once noticed anything wrong with the queen, if I haven't noticed that, they can't exist' Henry pauses for a breath then continues

'I take my leave of you Master Smeaton' The pleased King rises from his seat as does the violinist, who bows to him as he leaves his cell.

The ride back to court was pleasing and peaceful, that night he retires to bed his mid rested all for one thing, what of his mistress? What of Jane Seymour, the woman he has promised to marry once the queen is dead?

With prayers and sleep should come peace and rest, a commodity that has become more and more of a luxury to Anne, a queen with but three days to live and who's daughter now faces a very uncertain future.

Unless a miracle can be performed.


	3. Freedom At Last

**19th May 1536**

Three days had passed since the conversation with Mark Smeaton and the king had reached a sound verdict; all four men and the queen herself were to be released.

The king had just finished the warrant for the release and sent it with a messenger to the tower, he also began preparations for the queen's welcoming home banquet.

Nan Saville had just finished lacing up the light blue gown that her best friend and mistress was wearing to her execution and started tying a bun in her black hair, she asks

'are you scared your majesty?'

'no, not really, if his majesty so wills it then who am I to protest?' the Queen says, in a half scared half serious voice.

They sit down to breakfast and hear footsteps outside the chamber, was it her entourage to the scaffold? Anne wondered, but was more taken aback at the Duke of Suffolk being the man beyond the door

'Your Majesty, you are to come back to court' the tall, dark haired man tells her

'Your Grace, I am supposed to die today, am I not?' she asks in disbelief

'No, his majesty has found you and the four men innocent'

'Oh my God' is all that Anne could manage to say.

Her and Nan got their things together and followed the entourage out of the tower, fresh air enters Anne's nose and touches her skin for the first time in a week, the coach awaits, she gets in and back to Hampton Court, stunned to be free on the day she was meant to die.

Now, there was only two things on Anne's mind, her daughter Elizabeth and for reasons best known to herself Lady Mary, the king's eldest daughter.

Henry awaits in his chambers for the Duke to return, as an omen that his wife has been returned safely. And is overjoyed when Charles comes back

'Your Majesty, the queen is now back in her chambers and you may visit her when you please'

'Thank you Charles, I shall, and tomorrow I will be visiting the Seymour family to have a talk with them'

'As you wish, your majesty' Charles bows to the king and leaves.

An hour passes before Henry goes to visit his now redeemed wife, hopefully to make peace with her.

Never in Anne's twenty-nine years has she felt so alien in a room that is her own, in a world that she had once felt so at home in.

'Your Majesty, the king's here' Lady Rochford interrupts her reverie

'Thank you Lady Rochford' Anne stands from her seat by the fire and addresses her husband

'Henry' she only dare speak his name, not his royal address

'Anne, my sweetheart' he instantly takes her by the waist

'Please Henry not now, I am not in the mood for intimacy at the moment'

'all in your own time Anne, I am just happy to have you back, I should never have listened to Cromwell, you would never betray me and I was a fool to think you ever would'

'I don't want us to act as if this never happened Henry but I want it to make our family stronger, all _four_ of us'

'Are you with child again?'

'No, but Catherine was' she cryptically states

'Catherine of Aragon sweetheart?'

'The very one'

 **20** **th** **May 1536**

The ride to Hatfield had been a short one, at least in Anne's mind, which was diverted between two things: see Elizabeth and talk (hopefully peacefully) with Mary.

Once she enters the grand estate, her heart swells at the sound of a little girls voice

'Mary, can you teach me that song again?'

'Of course little sister' the young woman says in a warm tone

'Hello, My little girl' Anne says

'Mama!' Elizabeth runs to her mother who picks her up in her arms, kissing her cheeks and saying

'I love you' over and over again.

'Mama, Mary was teaching me a song on the minstrels'

'Was she?'

'Yes, she sings to me and everything'

'does she?' Anne asks

'Yes, she's good at music'

'That's lovely sweetheart' Anne walks over to her

'Lady Mary'

'Your Grace' this address should have annoyed her, but as Marquess of Pembroke it was technically correct.

'I need to talk with you in private, Lady Bryan, could you take Elizabeth please?'

'of course your majesty' the older woman, dressed in black takes Elizabeth

'I promise I will see you tomorrow darling'

'bye, bye Mama.' Anne turns back to lady Mary and invites her to sit with her at a table.

'Lady Mary, I have a gift for you, which you may turn down at your leisure' she picks up a package wrapped in cyan paper-Mary's favourite colour and hands it to her

'they are not the exact items but exact replicas, open it' Mary opens the package and takes out and exact replica of her mother's rosary beads and of her wedding ring

'Your Grace, I-I don't know what to say' Anne could see tears in her eyes

'Lady Mary, I need you to understand that I never desired to be your mother, I actually wanted to attempt to be friends with you, and while I could not find the real ones, I had secretly commissioned replicas to be made for you, I hope we can try to be friends'

'it is what my mother would have wanted?' Mary cautiously asks

'I believe so, she would be proud of us for being friends' Anne assures

'if my mother would have wanted it, I don't see why not' Anne rises from her chair as does Mary

'and my lady?'

'yes your grace?'

'don't tell anyone about this please'

'of course not your grace.'

The ride back to Hampton was a triumphant and pleasing one for the queen.


	4. Blossoming Friendships

**23rd May 1536**

The typically beautiful May sun streamed through Anne's windows as she awaits with her tailor and seamstress, for Lady Mary, her friend and step-daughter, having noticed the sparsity of her wardrobe, she decided to do something about it, all under the nose of her husband of course, who she doesn't quite trust yet.

'Your Majesty, Lady Mary is here to see you' Lady Gainsford says

'thank you mistress Gainsford, send her in' the lady-in-waiting curtsies to her and bids Mary in

the brunette walks into Anne's room

'Your Grace' she curtsies, deeply but not too deeply

'Mary, I have taken it upon myself to give you some new gowns, your wardrobe is tragically empty for such a beautiful young lady'

'You don't need to do this your grace' Mary says

Anne smiles warmly at her and says 'I know I don't _need_ to do this but I _want_ to do this'

they walk to the centre of the large room and Anne says to Mary

'I need you to take your gown off Mary, so you're just in your nightshift, if you please' she slips her black gown off and stands in her white linen shift, the tailor starts taking measurements of her height, arms, shoulders and waist, while the seamstress takes notes of colours and fabrics that might suit Mary.

After fifteen minutes of measuring and note taking, Mary is allowed to put her gown back on, Anne says

'It may take a while for the gowns to be made, but I believe you'll love them'

'Thank you for all of this your grace' Mary says curtsying

'You are very welcome my lady, now off you go before your father comes in' Mary leaves, Anne turns back to the seamstress

'Also, if it is no trouble, please make some dresses for my daughter as well, she'll want to have some like her sister'

'of course your majesty' both address her and leave.

With his betrothal to Jane Seymour officially broken off (without Anne's knowledge thankfully) Henry knows that he must now make good with his wife, and his two daughters, he no longer wants Mary to forsake her faith, the one thing that latches her onto her own mother, just as Elizabeth's personality latches her onto Anne.

'Charles, please send for the lady Mary, I wish to speak to her'

'Yes, your majesty' the Duke bows and leaves to send for her.

A few moments later Henry hears 'Your majesty, you sent for me?'

'yes I did Mary, please sit down' she does, looking into her father's blue eyes, looking for a sign of hatred, a thing that she doesn't find, to her surprise

'Mary, I do not want to talk to you as your king, but as your father, I wish and I also think that the queen now wishes, for you to be a part of our family'

'That is also my wish your majesty, but if it means I must renounce my faith, I cannot be a part of the family'

'you do not need to do that any longer, all you need to do is sign a new charter of the succession, declaring you second in line to the throne, behind your sister'

'Do you have the treaty now?' Mary asks

'no, not yet, I'll write it and you can sign it'

'yes, your majesty' she stands, curtsies and leaves her father's chambers, making a mental note to tell Anne about her conversation with the king after her gowns are delivered, and to continue looking after her little sister until the charter is written.

That night Anne travels to Hatfield for dinner with Mary and her little Elizabeth, knowing that she should be having dinner at court, but can't bring herself to do so, just yet.

She eats with her friend and daughter, looking to Mary knowingly, she speaks to her little daughter

'I have ordered some new dresses for you darling'

'thank you Mama'

'you're very welcome sweetheart'

Later that evening, Anne bids a goodnight to Mary and Elizabeth and rides back to Hampton.

 **24** **th** **May 1536**

The queen takes her first walk out of her bed chambers and out of her peripheral vision sees The Seymour family leaving the palace, _'just as it should be, I am the queen, not her'_ she thinks about Jane, venomously, the woman who wanted her husband and place. A thing she'll never have now.

Mary looks at the packages and envelopes, the packages holding her new dresses, one envelope is a letter from the queen, the other is a charter from her father, seeing its importance to her and the family, she opens it first and reads it, every letter, every word and then reads it again and again. She takes out her quill and signs it, now a legitimate daughter, she can open her dresses, they may not be as extravagant as the ones her little sister gets, but that's to be expected, she resolves to put them in her wardrobe for now, she opens the letter from Anne and reads it,

 _'Dear Mary_

 _I hope you are well and I hope you like your new dresses, I wish to soon see you wearing them_ _at court, that is if you are welcomed back, as is my want, just as I believe it to be your father's._

 _Please Mary, write to me when you get this, I hope to see you soon and I pray for you and a good reunion with your father._

 _Your friend, Anne Boleyn'_

She wonders to herself before replying and going to spend time with her sister, now she's legitimate and still catholic, could she show her face at court?


	5. Two Duchesses

**26th May 1536**

The little princess spins around in her new dress, Lady Bryan says

'you look beautiful your highness'

'thank you Lady Bryan, and thank you mama for my new dresses'

'you're very welcome, my darling'

The four ladies are alerted by the sound of boots outside the room that they are in, Anne instinctively picks Elizabeth up and holds her on her hip, and sees as her husband comes in, she says 'Henry, lovely to see you'

'Anne, Elizabeth'

'Papa, do you still love mama?' the little girl asks, flashbacks of the pre-imprisonment argument in her light blue eyes.

'of course I do love, why?'

'you said mean things to mama and she was upset'

'yes I did little angel, and Anne I am eternally sorry to have said those things to you my sweetheart'

'that is fine Henry'

'Now, I have come to discuss something with you, Elizabeth and Mary'

'Lady Bryan could you please leave the four of us to talk?' Anne asks

'of course your majesty' the older woman leaves with the princess' attendants, the four Tudors sit at the table.

'I have primarily come to discuss the titles our daughter and my daughter Mary will be receiving next year'

Mary wondered what title she would receive as her father was speaking of both of them

'Elizabeth, you will be receiving the title 'Duchess of York' and Mary, as you are now rising back to legitimacy, I see it fitting that you receive the title 'Duchess of Cornwall' are you alright with that Mary?'

'of course your majesty, if you see it fit, then so do I' Mary says with a shaky voice

'So, papa, Mary is now my proper sister?' Elizabeth asks, sounding excited

'Yes Elizabeth, she is' Anne says, just as happily as her daughter

'Yay! I've always wanted Mary to be my sister!'

'Now I am Elizabeth' Mary says

'you two will be crowned together, of course Elizabeth will be crowned before Mary, but you will be invested on the same day' the two sisters smile at each other.

The king goes back to Hampton before Anne does and goes to his chambers, Cromwell asks him

'are you sure about giving the duchy of Cornwall to the Lady Mary, your majesty?'

'of course I am, she is my daughter, is she not?'

'not the queen's daughter'

'No, Thomas, she is not Anne's daughter, but she is mine and newly legitimate'

'if your majesty so wills it' Cromwell says, exasperated, bows to his master and leaves

Henry looks out of his window and sees the sun, blazing in and hopes that after so long at time that there may be peace in his family, at long last.

Anne eats with her daughter and step-daughter before riding back to Hampton, once she gets back, she goes straight to her chambers, smiling at her new daily routine of: Mass, visiting Hatfield and spending time in her chambers, a calm routine, which doesn't risk her any strange looks from people at court.

She curls up on her bed, reading a book and making plans to give both Mary and Elizabeth permanent lodgings at court before they become duchesses next year, but decides to discuss them with her husband, when she trusts him again.

Night comes fast for the two sisters, Elizabeth gets into her bed and asks for Mary, who immediately comes to her

'Mary, can you read me a story?'

'of course Elizabeth' she picks out a book and reads to her until she falls asleep, she tucks her sister's strawberry-blonde hair behind her ear and kisses her forehead and goes to bed herself.

 **27** **th** **May 1536**

After Mass, Anne decides to visit her family at Hever, before visiting Mary and Elizabeth, her ladies dress her in her riding habit and she leaves for her childhood home.

Once she gets there, her father Thomas Boleyn welcomes his daughter inside

'how are you darling daughter?' he asks

'I am in good spirits father, how are you?'

'I am rather the same Anne'

They sit together in the drawing room, discussing family, court goings-on and Thomas brings up a touchy subject: Lady Mary

'what of her, Mary?'

'My step-daughter is thankfully back in her father's favour and is to be made Duchess of Cornwall, why?'

'that is not what I had hoped for'

'I think you'll find that being kept from your own daughter makes you sympathise with a daughter who hadn't seen her mother in a very long time, Mary is as important to the king as Elizabeth is to me'

'I understand that, but it was our aim to bring down her and her mother'

'I know, but, while we have done that, it is now my aim to bring Mary back up as she deserves'

Anne stays for lunch, then goes to Hatfield to spend time with her daughter and step-daughter, and is happy to see both girls in a new dress, Mary wearing a red ensemble and Elizabeth a soft pink one

'don't you two princesses look beautiful' she says, walking into the room that they are playing in.

'mama!' Elizabeth runs to her mother, who picks her up

'my little sweetheart' Anne says, kissing her cheek

'your grace' Mary says

'Anne, please Mary, we are family now, and if you can't address me as queen call me by my name'

'Yes, Anne' it would take a while for Mary to get used to that, but she would.

While the three spend time together Lady Bryan comes in with a letter and reads it

'his majesty has invited both the Princess Elizabeth and Lady Mary to court for a few days'

the queen and two sisters look at each other smiling for a hopeful family reunion.


End file.
